California statewide propositions · November 3, 2026 general election. Every California voter sees these same 14 statewide propositions. They are ordered here by the size of the decision — the annual dollars at stake, from the Legislative Analyst's official estimates. Local races and measures depend on your exact address; your county elections office has your complete ballot.
Proposition 3
About $5–15 billion a year in state revenue (LAO estimate)Provides Permanent Funding for Schools and Health Care by Extending Existing Tax on High Incomes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #3
A YES vote means:
The higher income tax rates that top earners have paid since 2012 become permanent instead of ending in 2031, keeping about $5 to $15 billion a year; roughly 40% would go to schools and community colleges, and the rest to other state programs and reserves.
A NO vote means:
The higher tax rates on top earners end in 2031, and the state no longer receives the $5 to $15 billion a year they bring in.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Maintains $5 billion to $15 billion of annual state income tax revenue by making a temporary tax increase on high-income earners permanent instead of letting it expire in 2031.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 40
Tens of billions over several years in new tax revenue (LAO estimate)Imposes One-Time Tax on Certain Taxpayers. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Ballot order: #9
A YES vote means:
Billionaires pay a one-time tax of 5% of their wealth, raising tens of billions of dollars over several years, mostly for health care; the state might also see an ongoing decrease of less than $1 billion a year in income tax collected from billionaires.
A NO vote means:
No one-time wealth tax is collected from billionaires.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Temporary revenue increase of tens of billions of dollars spread over several years from wealth tax on billionaires. Possible ongoing decrease of less than $1 billion per year in income tax revenue from billionaires.
How these interact: Propositions 41 and 42 each say that if they pass with more YES votes than a conflicting measure on this same ballot, the conflicting measure does not take effect. Proposition 40 is a measure on this ballot that those rules could reach.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 1
About $15 billion over 25 years in bond repayment (LAO estimate)Authorizes Bonds for Housing Affordability Programs. Legislative Statute.
Ballot order: #1
A YES vote means:
The state borrows $11.25 billion for affordable housing and veterans' home loans; the state repays the housing part at $500 to $600 million a year for about 25 years, and veterans repay the home-loan part through their own loan payments.
A NO vote means:
The state does not borrow this money, and these housing programs do not get this funding.
No argument against this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Increased state cost of $500 million to $600 million annually for about 25 years to repay the housing bond.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 38
About $12 billion over 20 years in bond repayment (LAO estimate)Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Medical Research. Initiative Statute.
Ballot order: #7
A YES vote means:
The state borrows $8.4 billion for immunology and immunotherapy research, with half the money going to a single UC-affiliated research institute and half to research grants, repaid at $500 to $600 million a year for about 20 years.
A NO vote means:
The state does not borrow this money for this research.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Increased state cost of $500 million to $600 million annually for about 20 years to repay the research bond, with some or all of the cost offset if the funded research generates revenue.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 39
Tens of millions to low hundreds of millions a year in government costs (LAO estimate)Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #8
A YES vote means:
You must show government ID to vote in person, and a mail ballot does not count unless its envelope has the last four digits of the same ID number you put on your voter registration.
A NO vote means:
Voting rules stay as they are now: your signature, not an ID, is what verifies who you are.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Costs of between tens of millions of dollars and low hundreds of millions of dollars each year to implement new voting requirements.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 45
Around $100 million a year in government costs (LAO estimate)Modifies Environmental Review for Certain Projects. Initiative Statute.
Ballot order: #14
A YES vote means:
Many projects get faster environmental review, with tighter deadlines to finish reviews and limits on what courts can consider in lawsuits against projects.
A NO vote means:
Projects keep going through the current environmental review process, with the current deadlines and court rules.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Initial costs for state and local governments, likely in the high tens of millions of dollars—potentially exceeding $100 million—annually, partly covered by fees. Uncertain, potentially more significant positive or negative longer-term fiscal effects.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 44
Low tens of millions a year in state enforcement costs, covered by fees (LAO estimate)Requires Community Health Clinics Spend 90% of Revenue on Program Services. Initiative Statute.
Ballot order: #13
A YES vote means:
Community health clinics must spend at least 90% of their revenue each year on program services like patient care, or face penalties.
No argument in favor of this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
A NO vote means:
Community health clinics are not held to this 90% spending rule.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Increased state costs in the low tens of millions of dollars per year, covered by fees.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 4
A few hundred thousand dollars a year in state costs (LAO estimate)Repeals Prohibition Against Public Funding of Election Campaigns. Legislative Statute.
Ballot order: #4
A YES vote means:
State and local governments may create programs that use public money to help pay for election campaigns, with limits on which public funds can be used.
A NO vote means:
Public money stays banned for state and most local election campaigns in California; only some charter cities and counties may use it now.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Ongoing costs to the state of a few hundred thousand dollars each year for the Fair Political Practices Commission to answer questions from state and local governments about public campaign finance programs.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 2
No dollar figure in the LAO estimate — it says state reserves would be higherIncreases State's Rainy Day Fund. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #2
A YES vote means:
The state must put more money into its rainy day fund, and it must keep making extra payments on state debts for longer.
A NO vote means:
The current rules for building state savings and making extra debt payments stay the same.
No argument against this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): State budget reserves would be higher.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 5
Net effect unknown — rare, office-dependent costs or savings (LAO estimate)Changes Recall Election Process for Statewide Officers. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #5
A YES vote means:
Recall ballots no longer include choosing a replacement; if the Governor is recalled, the Lieutenant Governor takes over, and other empty offices are filled later by a special election or an appointment, depending on the office.
No argument in favor of this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
A NO vote means:
Voters keep choosing the replacement on the same ballot as the recall vote itself.
No argument against this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Net fiscal effect unknown. In the event of a recall, savings or costs of millions of dollars to administer the election depending on the office recalled.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 37
No direct state or local costs (LAO estimate)Creates Loan Program for Middle-Income Buyers of Qualified New Homes. Initiative Statute.
Ballot order: #6
A YES vote means:
The state starts a loan program for middle-income buyers of newly built homes, funded by up to $25 billion in bonds that the homebuyers repay through their mortgages, with no direct cost to the state.
A NO vote means:
The state does not start this homebuyer loan program.
No argument against this measure was submitted to the official voter guide.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): No direct state or local costs.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 41
Net effect unknown in the LAO estimateProhibits New State Taxes That Exclude Revenues from State Spending Limit. Requires Audits for New State Special Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #10
A YES vote means:
For a special tax proposed by voters, the State Auditor reviews the programs it would fund before the election, and reviews programs funded by special taxes created since January 2026 again every four years.
A NO vote means:
The State Auditor's duties do not change, and the state spending-limit rules stay as they are.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): The net fiscal effect is unknown as it depends on future decisions by voters, the Legislature, and other policymakers.
How these interact: Propositions 41 and 42 each say that if they pass with more YES votes than a conflicting measure on this same ballot, the conflicting measure does not take effect. Proposition 40 is a measure on this ballot that those rules could reach.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 42
No dollar figure in the LAO estimate — future tax revenue may grow more slowlyProhibits New State Personal Property Taxes and Certain Retroactive State Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #11
A YES vote means:
The state is banned from creating new taxes on owning things like savings and investments, and from taxes based on past activity; taxes passed since January 2026 that break these rules are canceled.
A NO vote means:
The state keeps the power to create taxes like these in the future.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Possibility that tax revenues will not go up as much in the future.
How these interact: Propositions 41 and 42 each say that if they pass with more YES votes than a conflicting measure on this same ballot, the conflicting measure does not take effect. Proposition 40 is a measure on this ballot that those rules could reach.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide
Proposition 43
No dollar figure in the LAO estimate — local tax revenue may grow more slowlyLimit's Voters' Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Ballot order: #12
A YES vote means:
Starting in 2027, local special taxes proposed by voters — taxes dedicated to a specific purpose — need two-thirds of voters to approve them, instead of a simple majority.
A NO vote means:
Voter-proposed local special taxes keep passing with a simple majority, just over 50%.
Cost (Legislative Analyst): Possibility that local government tax revenues will not go up as much in the future due to a higher vote threshold for certain taxes.
Source: CA Secretary of State, Official Voter Information Guide